Suicide bomber hits checkpoint near Libya's Misrata, several dead - official

A suicide bomber attacked a checkpoint outside the Libyan city of Misrata on Sunday, killing several people, a local official said.

Few other immediate details were available about the attack on the post west of Misrata on the highway to the capital Tripoli. But Islamic State militants have carried out several attacks in the area recently.

Two rival governments are battling for control of Libya, allowing Islamist fighters to gain ground in the chaos. Misrata city is allied with the unofficial government that controls Tripoli. The internationally recognized government operates out of east Libya.